title: Incidence of electrocardiographic changes during cesarean delivery under regional anesthesia.
abstract: Serial electrocardiograms were obtained on 93 healthy ASA physical status I and II term parturients during nonemergent cesarean delivery under regional anesthesia. Electrocardiographic changes occurred in 44 of the 93 patients (47.3%); in 35 of these 44 patients, the changes were characteristic, or suggestive, of myocardial ischemia. Symptoms of chest pain, pressure, and dyspnea occurred in 15 of the 44 patients with electrocardiographic changes; no patient without electrocardiographic change developed symptoms of chest pain, pressure, or dyspnea. Small but statistically significant differences were noted in heart rate, diastolic and systolic arterial pressures, and rate-pressure product between the patients with electrocardiographic changes and those without. The authors speculate that myocardial ischemia is a likely cause of both the electrocardiographic changes seen in these patients and of the symptoms of chest pain and dyspnea that they sometimes experience.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Giudici
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Leighton
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: DeSimone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical; D002585:Cesarean Section; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin